Harvester of olives

ABSTRACT

The collection of the olives is performed by a machinery, that has attached a telescopic rod (A.a), fixed from one side, and free to rotate hydraulically form the other side. This free side moves mechanically by the operator in order to come as close as possible to the olives. The strikers who drop the olives off the tree are on the free side of the rod. The machinery is either pulled and gets its power/motion through a compler by a tractor or it is as an independent automotive self-driven piece of machinery. The olives fall into a PVC foil top (A.b), which mechanically extends under the tree. The olives are transferred over a rotating belt (A.c) into the selected sacks, as the leaves have already been separated from the olives with the help of the absorber (A.d).

This invention is about the mechanical, through hydraulics, striking ofolive trees, in order to drop the olives off the tree.

This particular machinery can be manufactured in two versions:

The first version (drawing A), is an automotive machinery that can bedriven, and whose operator will be performing all the machinery'sfunctions, from the driver's seat.

The second version (drawing B), is a machinery attached to and pulled bya tractor, or to a similar type of vehicle. The necessary motion for theoperation of its hydraulics will be taken by the tractor over a complertraction transferred over a pivot). In this case the operator set on themachinery during the operation.

Both versions A and B are both comprised by the following parts:

A: from a metal block which is build on wheels, for its easytransportation. Except the oil pump, on this block we also have thefollowing parts:

A.a: a telescopic metal rod which extends up to 6 meters.

A.b: a foil of PVC aprox. 1 cm thick, for the collection of the olives

A.c: a continuous rolling belt, which has two parts, sends the olivesinto the sack a1 or b1.

A.d: An absorber who will separate the leaves from the olives.

A.a.1: Telescopic rod: the operator extends the rod to the necessarylength, moves it vertically up and down, horizontally left and right,and semi circular left and right. The telescopic rod is fixed on themetal block, whilst the striker is fixed on the end side of the rod.

A.a.2: Frame striker: this is a metal framework fixed, as we alreadymentioned above, on the end of the telescopic rod. On its other side,has three rows of strikers. It moves up and down and semi circle leftand right.

A.a.3: Strikers: these are three rods vertically installed on the endside of the rod, with four plastic strikers (of a crossed pattern) oneach rod. They rotate in circularly by a hydraulic motor, which is fixedon the rod It transfers the drive/motion, with a chain simultaneously toall three rods.

A.a.4: Plastic strikers: a plastic striker 50 mm thick and 25 cm long.They are fixed on the striker by four in a cross pattern. As they turnaround, they heat the branches of the olive tree and as a result theolives fall into the foil PVC.

A.b.1: Collection area: it consists of an elastic top made of PVC, 1 cmthick. It has three parallelogramical parts. The left and right one,open hydraulically outwards and they to stop underneath the third andfirm piece. Each one to its side. The PVC foil is fixed on the secondhub of an hydraulic telescope, therefore to be able to come close to thetree, The other side of the telescope is fixed on the opposite side ofthe compler, in order to move 180o, thus working on trees to the leftand to the right side.

The PVC foil has a hole, in which the olives fill, either due to itsangle, or by a hydraulic angle done by the operator,

Where the olives fall (in the hole), there is a rotating belt which,after the absorber has separated the leaves, brings the olives intosack.

1-4. (canceled)
 5. Olive harvesting machine for the collection of olivesthrough striking an olive tree at selected locations thereof to effectdownfall of olives and subsequently separating olives from leaves,characterized by that it comprises in combination: a block (A) mountedonto wheels capable of moving in selected locations in the proximity ofan olive tree; a telescopic rod (A.a.1) pivotally mounted onto saidblock and expandable at a height suitable for reaching any desiredlocation of any olive tree whatsoever; striker means comprising a rod(A.a.2) pivotally mounted at the outermost end of said telescopic rod(A.a.1), a plurality of evenly spaced rods (A.a.3) rotatably mountedperpendicularly along and on either side of said rod (A.a.2), anarrangement of plastic strikers (A.a.4) being disposed in a crosslikepattern perimetrically around each one of said plurality of evenlyspaced rods (A.a.3); means for the supply of power for driving movableitems and especially for moving said plurality of evenly spaced rods(A.a.3) via a central motion transmission means activating asimultaneous rotation of all rods in said plurality of evenly spacedrods (A.a.3); means for the collection of olives falling from the olivetree through striking action of said plastic strikers (A.a.4), saidmeans for the collection of olives being deployed at a selected locationunderneath said olive tree and comprising an assembly of a plurality ofolive collection foil portions (A.b.1) of parallelogram configuration, atelescopically extendable rod passing centrally through said pluralityof olive collection foil portions and supporting the same, saidtelescopically extendable rod being pivotally mounted at a rear side ofsaid block (A) capable of turning at an arc of 90° rightwards or 90°leftwards and of longitudinally extending to reach the desired positionunderneath the olive tree where olives are expected to fall throughstriking action of said plastic strikers (A.a.4), an aperture beingprovided at a discharge end of said assembly of a plurality of foilportions (A.b.1), each foil portion of said assembly of a plurality ofolive collection foil portions (A.b.1) comprising inclined side walls soas to obtain an inclined orientation of the overall assembly to leadcollected olives to pass through said aperture, a rotating belt (A.c)being adapted to receive the olives being discharged through saidaperture, an absorber (A.d) being provided at a certain point along saidrotating belt (A.c) for separating olives from leaves, whereby olivesdeprived from leaves are alternatively led into packaging sack (a.1) orpackaging sack (b1), said packaging sacks (a1, b1) being mounted ontosaid block (A).
 6. Olive harvesting machine as claimed in above claim 5,characterized by said rod (A.a.2) pivotally mounted at the outermost endof said telescopic rod (A.a.1) being capable of selectively moving inany orientation up-down, right-left with respect to said telescopic rod(A.a.1) thereby achieving a motion in simulation of the human hand. 7.Olive harvesting machine as claimed in above claim 5, characterized bythat an innermost foil portion of said assembly of a plurality of olivecollection foil portions (A.b.1) is fixedly mounted onto saidtelescopically extendable rod passing centrally therethrough, whilst theother foils of said plurality of foil portions being selectivelyfoldable within said innermost fixedly mounted foil portion as saidtelescopically extendable rod contracts whilst said means for thecollection of olives is not in use and being desirably deployed as saidtelescopically extendable rod expands to bring said means for thecollection of olives at a selected location underneath said olive tree.8. Olive harvesting machine as claimed in above claim 5, wherein themeans for the supply of power for driving movable items and specificallyfor moving said plurality of evenly spaced simultaneously rotatable rods(A.a.3) of said striker means, said rotating belt (A.c), said telescopicrod (A.a.1) bearing the striker means and said telescopically extendablerod supporting said assembly of olive collection foil portions (A.b.1)is a hydraulic circuitry comprising an oil pump mounted onto said block(A) connected through oil circulation piping to said movable items ofsaid olive harvesting machine.
 9. Olive harvesting machine as claimed inabove claim 8, wherein the machine is attached to and pulled by atractor or related vehicle and the power supply necessary for operatingsaid hydraulic circuitry is received from said tractor or relatedvehicle.
 10. Olive harvesting machine as claimed in above claim 8,wherein the machine is an automotive machinery equipped with a drivingseat and being provided with an autonomous power supply necessary foroperating said hydraulic circuitry and for driving.
 11. Method for thecollection of olives employing an olive harvesting machine as claimed inabove claims 5-10 and being characterized by that following bringingsaid olive harvesting machine in the proximity of an olive tree, itcomprises the following steps being implemented by the operator throughoperations carried out through a console: appropriately turning anddeploying said telescopic rod (A.a.1) to bring said striker meanscomprising said rod (A.a.2) pivotally mounted at the outermost endthereof at a selected location of the olive tree; appropriately turningand deploying a telescopically extendable rod supporting an assembly ofolive collection foil portions (A.b.1) to bring said olive collectionfoil portions at the desired position underneath the olive tree whereinolives are expected to fall through striking action of said strikermeans; performing a selective continuous human hand simulating movementof said rod (A.a.2) pivotally mounted at the outermost end of saidtelescopic rod (A.a.1) thereby effecting an efficient striking action inthe olive collection process as said rod (A.a.2) selectivelycontinuously moves in any orientation, up-down, right-left with respectto said telescopic rod (A.a.1), wherein olives and leaves beingseparated from the olive tree through said striking action falldownwards into said assembly of olive collection foil portions (A.b.1);operating an absorber means (A.d) to effect separation of olives fromleaves along a rotating belt (A.c.) wherein olives are discharged fromsaid assembly of olive collection foils (A.b.1); alternatively guidingdischarge of olives from said rotating belt (A.c) into packaging sack(a1) or packaging sack (b1) to attain a continuous operation of theolive harvesting machine as discharge is being shifted from onepackaging sack after filling thereof to the other; repeating the abovesequential steps with sequential movement of the olive harvestingmachine at adjacent locations of the same or of an adjacent olive tree.